RTG Rammtechnik GmbH, a company of Bauer Maschinen Group, has been actively developing new features for its RG telescopic leaders. Among them is a sheet pile assistance system integrated in the vibrator, which enhances safety and efficiency of the construction of sheet pile walls.

Previously, a sheet pile was attached to the vibrator with a chain, pulled upwards and then threaded into the grip by moving the vibrator downwards, explained RTG. During this process, the chain was loosened, with the sheet piles standing freely on the ground and potentially able to tip over before being threaded in.

Thanks to the new assistance system, it is now possible to safely thread a sheet pile into the vibrator by fixing the sheet pile (single or double pile) in place between the ground and the assistant, thereby preventing it from tipping over. “Two factors play a role here: first, the increased safety on construction sites, and second, the time saved by eliminating laborious manual threading,” said Jonas Guettel, RTG product manager.

The assistance system has been applied in multiple applications, such as the construction of an underground garage in the German city of Berlin last year. Here, an RG 19T with integrated sheet pile assistant was deployed. The job involved securing a slope, and then later the excavation pit, using double U profiles with a length of 12 m. According to RTG, by adopting an RG 19T with the new system, threading in the sheet piles took just a fraction of the time that was previously needed (when an RG without assistant was used). The sheet pile walls only required slight preparation.

For a project in Karlsruhe, Germany, double U sheet piles with a length of 18 m had to be positioned for a new building complex with multiple underground floors. “During this project, the RG was operated by a highly experienced operator who was visibly impressed by the massive amount of time saved,” said Mr Guettel.

In 2020, RTG presented its ‘operation remote control,” which is considered a world’s first in the field of telescopic leaders. This new tool, available for all RTG equipment, enables the operator to control all functions externally – from set-up and drilling to impact driving. In the process, the B-Tronic is displayed on the attachable touch screen.

“Using remote control, the entire set-up process can be carried out by a single person in just about 15 minutes,” revealed Mr Guettel. This makes one-man operation possible, resulting in considerable safety improvements, particularly on cramped construction sites, said RTG. The sheet pile assistant can also be operated by remote control.

RTG added that the new auxiliary winch for RG telescopic leaders is hydraulically adjustable, meaning that a range of positions can be achieved (three working positions and one transport position). It also allows the load capacity to be optionally increased to 8 t, eliminating the need for additional lifting equipment.

“In all our new developments, we are careful to ensure that they are not only effective in practice but also intuitive to operate,” summarised Mr Guettel. “The feedback we have received so far from operators after the first applications – some of them relatively new and some of them highly experienced – demonstrates that our innovations offer real added value in terms of safety and efficiency for the construction of sheet pile walls.”

Images: Bauer Group